• Premiere: Looking Svelte – Evolve

    If you’ve been at least moderately au fait with the Irish alternative scene over the last few years, the name Ryan Burrowes is likely to ring a bell. From his work as main-man in Banbridge purveyors of scuzzy post-hardcore noise, Abandcalledboy, up until his recent membership in Belfast’s Robocobra Quartet, he’s tread a busy, involved path that’s always hinted at some autonomous experimentation bubbling beneath the surface. Serving as confirmation of that suspicion, his new-fangled, solo moniker Looking Svelte is a self-proclaimed pop project that will yield self-produced debut EP, Gelatine, this Friday (February 17). Featuring the influence of Triphop, noise…

  • Stendhal Festival Make Annual Call For Artist Submissions

    Right up there with our very favourite Irish festivals, Stendhal Festival of Art in Limavady have announced that they’re on the look-out for artist submissions for their 2017 installment across August 11-12. Set to return for its seventh outing, artists interested in taking part in the multi-award winning event can complete an application form via the festival’s website here. Organiser Ross Parkhill says that the submission process is one of the team’s favourite times of the year: “We really love when submission time comes around. We try our best to keep on top of all the amazing new music that…

  • First Acts Revealed for Castlepalooza 2017

    With many more acts yet to be announced, Girl Band (an Irish festival exclusive, we’re told), Wild Beasts, David Kitt and Waze & Odyssey are amongst the first names set to play this year’s Castlepalooza when it returns to Charleville Castle in Tullamore across August 4-6, Shit Robot, I Have a Tribe, Heroes in Hiding, King Bones and Lumo Club are also amongst the first names. Elsewhere, Colm O’Regan, Kevin McGahern, PJ Gallagher and Deirdre O’Kane are the first comedy acts confirmed for the Laughter Lab. Tickets are now available to buy, ranging from €59 to €119.

  • Stream: Lighght – Superstar (unmix)

    Cork based electronic producer and promoter with the Diffract club night, Lighght, has released a new track. And yes, before you ask, it is of course swirling, atmospheric edit of Jamelia’s 2003 R&B classic ‘Superstar’. Duh. Having put out a variety of glitching, industrial tracks reminiscent of Nicolas Jaar and Dorian Concept in the past year or so, the producer will be releasing more singles and audiovisual projects in the coming months as well as continuing to host the regular Diffract events.

  • Watch: No Monster Club – Sion

    Not exactly an outfit to needlessly sit on or tease out new material, Dublin’s No Monster Club are a band whose prolific output has never been cause to wonder about quality or consistency. Released as a single back in February last year, the slinking art-pop of ‘Sion’ is a perfect case in point, something we’ve been happy to re-visit in the form of its brand new video, an accompaniment featuring what main man Bobby Aherne calls words “vaguely meta” video footage featuring the very parade the song is written about. Sure enough, it syncs up wonderfully well.

  • Arcade Fire Set for Belfast and Dublin

    To say the 2017 Irish Summer festival calendar is already bursting at the seams with unmissable shows would be underselling it a bit. Adding to the is the highly-anticipated return of Arcade Fire, who play Belfast’s Belsonic at Ormeau Park on Tuesday, June 13 and Dublin’s Malahide Castle on Wednesday, June 14. With special guests to be confirmed, tickets for the shows go on sale at 9am this Friday priced £45 including booking fee for Belfast and €69.50 (inc. booking fee) for Dublin.

  • Critical Bastards Submission

    Independent Irish publication Critical Bastards have announced details of an open submission for their 14th issue – the theme for the forthcoming issue is ‘Hope‘. Critical Bastards is a vital and engaging publication that seeks to open dialogues surrounding art in Ireland. Their last issue was an audio version to do with ‘Work‘ with the issue previous to that a print version with the theme of ‘Resourcefulness‘. We’re big supporters and fans of the work CB do and encourage all to submit! The closing date is March 14th with more info on submission requirements here.

  • Stream: Slow Riot – Pink December

    Much like The Twilight Sad, Joy Division, Editors, Interpol and many others besides, Limerick three-piece Slow Riot have always had a strong knack in forging a stark, post-punk aesthetic with authentic pop sensibilities. Set for release on Monday, their new single ‘Pink December’ – which melds building minimalism with claustrophobic patterns reminiscent of early Cure – is no exception to that rule. We’re fans. Check it out.

  • Premiere: Scenery – Fool For You

    Counting their main influences as Jeff Buckley, Amy Winehouse, Tame Impala, Matt Corby, Mac DeMarco and The Beatles, new-fangled Derry outfit Scenery have already struck a keen balance between throwback and contemporary. A slickly-produced single conjuring at least a couple of the aforementioned acts, ‘Fool For You’ is a swooning ballad that, falling comfortably into the former camp, reveals the band’s pop prowess and melodic flair. Scenery launch ‘Fool For You’ alongside Orchid Collective and Emer McLaughlin at Bennigans in Derry tonight. Have a first listen to the single via Soundcloud below.

  • Line-up Revealed For Open Ear 2017

    Having made its sold-out inaugural outing last year, the intimate and independent Open Ear festival will return to the idyllic sanctuary of Sherkin Island off West Cork this June bank holiday (June 2-4). And with its focus on the best experimental, ambient, electronic, neo-classical, hip-hop/beats and noise-based sounds from Ireland and further afield, this year’s line-up – which is as proudly eclectic as the last – features the likes of Mike Slott, Eomac, The Cyclist, Naive Ted, Ambulance, Fixity and Magic Pockets. Here’s the full line-up. Early bird tickets are now available priced at €75. Go here for those.